Agitator.



J. C. KING.

AGITATOR.

I APPUCATION FILED 050.5. 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE NORRIS PETERS C04. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D c.

I. (3- KING.

AGITATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Dec. 5. m4.

1 ,140,4:65. Patented May 25, 1915.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lnowwtom JCKmla nu; NORRIS PETEIb (50.. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING TUN. D. c.

J. 0. KING. AGITATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5-1914.

Patented May 25, 1915.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

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JESSE C. KING, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO FRANK FBEYLER, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO.

AGITATOR.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed December 5, 1914. Serial No. 875,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE C. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Junta, in the county-of Otero and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Agitators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved machine for agitating metal containing solutions, and has for its primary object to provide means for constantly agitating sedimentary matter and maintaining the same in circulation in the water or other fluid. so that the fluid, when withdrawn from the tank, is of substantially uniform consistency whereby the particles of precious metal may afterward be easily and thoroughly separated from the tailings or other foreign matter when the same is fed to an amalgamating machine.

The invention has for another and more particular object to provide a vessel or tank for containing the fluid mixture, and a vertically disposed rotatable pipe having arms or branches disposed above the level of the fluid, through which the denser part of the mixture in the bottom of the tank is drawn upwardly by suction and discharged through the horizontal pipes into the comparatively clear fluid in the top of the tank.

The invention has for a further object to provide improved means for facilitating the starting of the machine in operation.

It is a further general object of my invention to improve and simplify the construction of machines of the above character whereby their manufacturing cost is greatly reduced, and to render the same highly reliable and efficient in practical use.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of an agitator constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig.

1; and Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section showing the plunger in the lower end of the vertical-pipe to close the same.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates a suitable tank or vessel, preferably cylindrical in form and having a frusto conical bottom wall 6. This tank is arranged between and suitably secured to a plurality of upright channel iron beams 7 which serve as guides for the horizontally disposed upper pairs of intersecting channel bars 8 and a lower pair of channel bars 9. The upper and lower pairs of horizontal channel bars are connected adjacent to their outer ends by the vertical bars 10 and the 0bliquely inclined brace bars 11. Between the uppermost pair of channel bars Sat the center thereof a bearing collar 12 is secured, the lower end of said collar resting upon the lower pair of bars 8. A similar sleeve or collar 13 is also secured between the lower horizontal bars 9. In these bearing collars the upper end portion of a vertically dis posed pipe 14: is rotatably mounted. A hearing member 15 is fixed to the upper end of this pipe and a series of anti-frictional hearing balls 16 are arranged in race-ways formed in the bottom face of this bearing member and in the upper face of the collar 12. A suitable cap indicated at 17 closes the upper end of the pipe 1t.

Upon the pipe 14 immediate below the lower pair of horizontal bars 9, a metal disk or plate 18 is fixed. This plate closes the upper flared end 20 of an elongated funnel shaped tube 19, through which the rotatable pipe 14 extends. The smaller lower end of this tube is closely engaged with the lower end of the pipe 14:. This lower end of the pipe may be open, but is preferably provided with a perforated cap 21. The pipe 14: is provided with a coupling, sleeve 22 at the upper end of the tube 19 to which the radially disposed branch pipes 23 are conlar metal plate 25 is secured, said plate extending downwardly from the bars and having a horizontally disposed inwardly and downwardly inclined portion 26. The angularly disposed outer ends of the pipes 23 move overthis horizontal portion of the plate contiguous to its juncture with the' body portion thereof. Said horizontal portion 26 of the annular plate is perforated as indicated at 27 through which the fluid discharged from the pipes 23 is distributed back into the tank. The outer Wall of the plate 25 prevents the fluid from being thrown outwardly against the wall of the tank, in the operation of the machine. From the inner edge of the horizontal portion 26 of the plate 25, agitating members'28 are loosely suspended. These members are pro vided for the purpose of creating a swirl in the fluid and furthering the thorough agitation of the solid matter therein.

Upon the lower'horizontal frame bars 9,

spaced bearings 29 are arranged in which the endsof the power transmission shaft'30 are journaled. The inner end of this shaft upon the outer end of the shaft 30'to mesh with the gear 34on the perpendicular driv ing shaft 35. This latter gear is provided with a key for sliding movement'in the 1011- gitudinally extending key-way 36 which is formed in the periphery of the shaft 35f The upper and lower ends of this latter shaft'are journaled in suitable bearings 37 secured upon one of the upright beams 7 A belt wheel 38 is secured upon the shaft 35 adjacent its upper end to receive the'driving belt extending from an engine or other suitable source of power: I

The lower end of the vertical pipe 14 is disposed contiguous to the horizontal base portion of the bottom wall 6 of the tank which is centrally provided witlran opening normally closed by means of a conical valvemember 39 fixed upon the upper end of a rod 40 which extends through the outlet pipe ll secured to the bottom of the tank.' This rod is provided with a threaded lower end portion 42 engaged in the hub of a hand wheel 43 which is mounted for rotationupon a suitable support indicated at 44. It will be understood that by simply rotating this hand wheel the valve 39 may be raised to withdraw a portion of the fluid mixture from the tank 5 at any time during the operation of themachine. This IIllX-' ture, which is *of uniform consistency, is conveyed by the pipe 41 to an amalgamat-" ing or separating apparatus of any approvedtype, and it will be apparent that by first disintegrating the metal impregnated materials and dividing the same into "a finely comminuted state by means of my apparatus, such separation of the precious metals may be more easily and thoroughly accomplished.

Having above described the several structural features of my invention, its operation Will be understood as follows: The tank 5 having been supplied with the fluid mixture, it will be understood that the solid insoluble matter therein will settle to the bottom of the'tank. Rotation being imparted to the vertical pipe 14:, the pipes 23 connected thereto and the funnel shaped tube 19, by the application of. the driving force to the'shaft 35, thecentrifu gal force thus'en'gendered acts to draw the heavier or thicker fluid from the bottom of the tank upwardly through the pipe 1a and dis charge the same from the horizontal pipes 23 upon the foraminous plate 26." The mixture is redeposited in the tank from this plate through the perforations'therein into 3 the comparatively clear upper: strata of'the mixture in the tankf The solid -inatter is further disintegrated by striking against the depending members 28which are"suspended from the inwardly extending annular plate 25. It will thus be understood that the depending members 28 act in the na-' turelof bafile'plates, and inthe swirling tapering tube 19 forms a vortex in the body of the liquid so that the solid matter'there in will be drawn downwardly at=the center of the tank and the liquid will enter' th'e lower end of the pipe '14:. In th'ismann'er a movement of the liquid, the mineral" impre'gn'ate'd particles strlke against these :members and are broken up. The central very thorough agitation of thecontents' of the tank is obtained. i 7 In starting the'oper'ation' of the machine,

some diiiiculty may be experienced and con siderable time" consumed in' causingthe fluid to flow upwardly through'thepipeile,

if thefcentrifugal' action alone isrelied upon. I therefore provide for use in con nection wlth my lnventlon plunger indicated at 45 which lsequlpped with-a valve 4:6 in its lowerend. The upper end of this plunger is formed with a spider'having "a threaded central opening to receive" the" lower end of the plunger rod indicated at e7. In the use of this plunger, the cap 17 is removed from the'upper'end of the pipe" ll "and said plunger forced "downwardly. into the lower endportiomofthe pipe-'14. It is thenaltei'r'nately raised and lowered to" create a suction inthe'pipe, and thus draw the "fluid upwardly therethrough, it being understood that,'while the plunger is being thus recipr'ocated',' the' machine is in operation. When the operation of the machine is stopped, the plunger rod 47 is threaded downwardly into the plunger and engaged with the valve 46" to hold the same upon its seat. The plunger is then forced downwardly through the pipe 14L to expel such solid matter as may have collected therein, and is engaged with the perforated cap 17, thus securely closing the lower end of. the

i e and )reventin the samefrom-bein D h clogged by the entrance therein of the solid mat er remaining in the bottom of the tank. The plunger is allowed to remain in this position after the starting of the operation of the machine until'the sedimentary matter has become thoroughly loosened around the lower end portion of the tube 19. By then lifting the plunger, the fluid is drawn into the lower end of the pipe 14 and the operation above described continues.

lVhen extreme difficulty is experienced in starting the operation of the machine,the entire mechanism thereof, including the beams 8 and 9 and all parts mounted thereon may be elevated by means of a suitable tackle so as to dispose the lower end of the pipe 14 above the solid matter which has precipitated to the bottom of the tank, and in the comparatively clear upper strata of the liquid. In thus elevating the pipe, the

power transmission gear Set on the driving shaft 35 will slide upwardly thereon for the length of the key-way 36. The operation of the machine is then continued and as the solid matter becomes distributed through the liquid in the pipe, the pipe 14 is gradually lowered to its normal position.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have produced an agitator, whereby semi-fluids may be quickly and thoroughly agitated. The mechanism employed is comparatively simple, and it will therefore be appreciated that the machine may be produced at small manufacturing cost. It is also highly durable in its construction, as well as eflicient and reliable in practical operation.

\Vhile I have above described the preferred form, construction, and arrangement of the several elements employed, it will be understood that the device is, nevertheless, susceptible of considerable modification therein, and I therefore reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a tank to contain the fluid mixture, a vertically disposed rotatable pipe, horizontally extending pipes connected to said vertical pipe and having their upper ends angularly extended in opposite directions and downwardly inclined, said vertical pipe being open at its lower end, a distributing plate upon which the fluid is discharged by said horizontal pipe and returned to the tank, and means for mounting said pipes whereby the same may be vertically moved with respect to the. tank to position the lower open end of said vertical pipe at various distances below the fluid level.

2. In a machine of the character described, a fluid containing tank, a frame structure above'said tank, a vertically disposed pipe mounted in said frame structure and extending downwardly into the tank, said pipe being open at its lower end and disposed contiguous to the bottom of the tank, a tube spaced from and surrounding said pipe and fixed at its upper end thereto, horizontally disposed pipes extending through the upper end of said tube and connected to said vertical pipe, the outer ends of said horizontal pipes being angularly extended in a direction opposite to the rotation of said pipe to discharge the sediment impregnated fluid entering the vertical pipe at its lower end into a comparatively clear upper strata of the fluid, and means mounted upon said frame for rotating said vertical pipe.

3. In a machine of the character described, a fluid containing tank, a frame mounted above said tank, a vertical pipe rotatably mounted in said frame and having its lower open end disposed contiguous to the bottom of the tank, an elongated funnel shaped tube surrounding said pipe and fixed at its upper end thereto, horizontally disposed pipes connected to said vertical pipe, an annular plate mounted upon said frame and having an inwardly and downwardly inclined perforated portion, the outer ends of said horizontal pipes being disposed above said inclined portion of the plate to discharge the sediment impregnated fluid upon the same and distribute said fluid back into the tank, and means for rotating said vertical pipe.

4. In a machine of the character described, a fluid containing tank, a vertically disposed rotatably mounted pipe having its lower open end contiguous to the bottom of the tank, an elongated funnel shaped tube having its upper end flared and mounted upon said vertical pipe, the lower end of said tube closely engaging the pipe at its open end, horizontal pipes extending through the upper end of the tube and connected to said vertical pipe, an inwardly and downwardly inclined perforated plate disposed above the fluid level, the outer open ends of said horizontal pipes being angularly extended in relatively opposite directions above said plate to discharge the sediment impregnated fluid upon the same whereby such fluid is directed back into the comparatively clear upper strata of fluid in the tank, means suspended from said plate for agitating the fluid in the tank, and means for rotating said vertical pipe.

5. In a machine of the character described, a fluid containing tank, a vertically movable frame arranged above said tank, a vertical pipe rotatably mounted in said frame and having its lower open end disposed contiguous to the bottom of the tank, an inwardly and downwardly inclined perforated annular plate secured to said frame and disposed above the fluid level, an elongated funnel shaped tube flared at one end, a disk fixed upon said vertical pipe to which the flared end of the tube is secured, horizontally disposed pipes extending through the flared end of the tube and eonnected to said vertical pipe, the outer ends of said horizontal pipes being angularly disfrom said plate, and means for rotating said 20 vertical pipe and the parts mounted thereon. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JESSE C. KING.

Witnesses:

. -HENRY W. ALLEN, FRANK FREYLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

